Trimming machine



Aug. 7, 192&

Filed June 14. 1927 TRIMMING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 OmMfDD WM1.1 KMMF www nTfm HMH Aug. 7, 1928.

Patented Aug. 7, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. f

HARRY DUCKWORTH, 0F OVERLAND, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHIN- ERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY.

TRIMMING MACHINE.

Application led .Tune 14,

This invention relates to edge-trimming machines and is herein illustrated as em bodied in a machine for trimming the edge of the toplift of a heel as distinguished from the body of the heel to which the toplift is attached, but in various respects the inven` tion is not limited to the particular operation above specified nor to the particular form of construction herein exemplified.

In the manufacture of' wood heels it is the practice to attach a slightly over-size toplif't of suitable material, for example leather or a composition containing or having the characteristics of vulcanized rubber, to a heel body that has been previously shaped and covered, and thereafter to trim the edge of the toplift to conform to the contour and profile of the heel body so that the profile of the trimmed toplift will constitute7 in ef feet, a continuation of, and merge with, that of the heel body instead of forming a break or angle in the plane of the meeting faces of the heel body and the toplift.

The present practice of shoe manufacturers requires the toplifts of Wood heels to be trimmed to final shape before the heels are attached to the shoes. Consequently, in trimming the toplift of a wood heel by machin ery it is necessary to maintain the tread surface of the toplif't seated on a tread-rest arranged in cooperative relation to a trimming cutter, the tread-rest being thus utilized to maintain, by its contact with the tread sur- `face of the top-lift, a constant pitch or angle of the top lift relatively t0 the trimming cutter so that the angular relation between the tread surface and the trimmmed edge of the toplift will be uniform at all points. There is one exception to this uniformity of angular' relation, viz, the pitch or angle of the profile of the breast is usually required to be different from that around the sides and back of the toplift, to harmonize with a corresponding difference in the profile of the body of the heel. For example, in certain types of wood heels there is little or no pitch or slant at the sides and back adjacent to the toplift, but a considerable pitch or slant at the breast. On'the other hand, in certain types of Louis heels which have flaring formations at the sides and back adjacent to the toplift the breast surface is more nearly perpendicular to the tread surface.

Toplift-trimmmg machines have Vheretofore been provided with angularly adjust 1927. Serial No. 198,714.

able tread-rests and with clamping means for securing them in various positions of angular adjustment, but `it has been necessary to handle the heels of each lot twice, `once to trim the sides and backs of all the toplift-s with one .setting of the tread-rest andy once more to trim the breasts with an'-v other setting of the tread-rest.

This practice ofv handling each heel twice has retardedproduction, audit is therefore an object of the present invention to provide for more rapid production by trimming the entire contour of each toplijf't with but oney formed successively and yet without loss of time in effecting the necessary change, between stages, in the position of the treadrest.

The illust-rated machine also comprises means for varying bothlimits of adjusting movement of the tread-rest, to the end that each of' the two angularly related operative positions may be changed independently of the other, as may be required by the profiles of the heel bodies.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a toplift trimming machine embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, on a larger scale, of a portion of said machine, and shows a heel and the tread-rest in two operative positions;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of that portion of the machine shown in 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the type of heel shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of another type of heel. l

Referring first to Fig. 4, the body of a heel is indicated at 10 and the toplift is indicated at 12. 14; is the breast of' the heel and 16 i-s the profile of the back. The same type of heel is shown also in Figs. 1 and 2. It is to be `observed that the toplift, as shown in Fig. 4, has been trimmed flush with the body of the heel, and that there is a flare or pitch in the profile ot the breast of the toplitt which forms a continuation ot' a corresponding pitch in the breast o'l the heel body. On the other hand.y the back and sides of the topliit taper slightly trom the attaching face 18 to the tread face 20, and thereby conform to or continue the tapering profile at the back and sides of the heel body. In this showing it may be observed that the pitch or :ingle of the prolile at the breast of the toplit't bears one angular relation to the plane of the tread lace 20 while the pitch of the profile around the sides and back ot' the toplift bears another angular relation to said plane.

In the type ot' heel illustrated in Fig. 5 the toplift 22 has a relatively abrupt prolile at the breast 24- and a pronounced llare. around the sides and back, thereby conforming to the dissimilar' profiles in the body 28 of the heel.

The two specimens illustrated in Figs. Ll and 5 are typical exan'iples ol wood heels and of the results desired and produced by the machine hereinafter described. lt would be impossible to produce these results if, while trimming the toplit't by the use ol a rotary trimming cutter, the tread surface ot the toplift were maintained in the same angular relation to the axis of the cutter while trimming the breast as while trimming the sides and back. The invention therefore provides, in a machine for trimming the toplift, an angularly adjustable tread rest and means for shifting it back and forth from one to the other of two predetermined positions angularly related to each other.

Excepting the features that form the subject-matter of the present invention, the general organization o'l the illustrated machine is similar to that shown and described in the copending application of N. H. Knowlton, Serial No. 197,392. liled rlune 8, 192?.

As shown by Fig. l herein, the trame of the machine comprises a column il() in the lower portion of which bearings are provided for a horizontal shaft A pulley 34C fixed to this shalt drives a. belt 36' by which rotation is transmitted to a pulley 38 fixed to a cutter shaft 40. This shaft is journaled in bearings formed in a head Ll2 allixed to the upper end of the column 30. A toothed trimming cutter il; is affixed to the shaft l0 and is arranged to trim the contour of a toplilt attached to a heel. A stationary heel-guard 4:6 is arranged in front of the cutter f-IY so that it nearly touches the front tace thereof. rlhis guard is supported by a fixed bracket t8 and is secured thereto by a wing bolt 50. Provision is made for adjustingr this guard vertically so that its lower edge, which is curved as shown in Fig. 3, may be adjusted to a position substantially flush with the bot tom of the cutter. The radius of curvature of the lower edge of this guard is substantially equal to the radius of the cutter. The lower edge of the guard 4G is arranged to engage the body of the heel while the cutter is operating on the toplift, and in practice the guard will be adjusted vertically so that the trimmed prolile of the top-lift will bc flush with the corresponding surlacc of the body of the heel. The bracket 48 is provided with a screw 52 for adjusting the guard as stated, slight changes ot" adjustment beingr necessary from time to time as the diameter of the cutter is diminished by sharpening operations or when one cutter is substituted l'or another.

A tread-rest 54 is supported by horizontal trunnions 56. The axis of the trunnions is transverse to that of the cutter shaft and is approximately at the level ci. the bottom of the cutter. The trunnions are tixcd to arms 5S ot' a supporting bracket (SO. This bracket is horizontally adjustable in lines parallel to the axis otl the cutter shaft and is also adjustable vertically. For purposes of horizontal adjustment the bracket is carried by a horizontal shank or stem (S2 which extends through a bore in the head 42 and is provided with a screw-thread (not shown) at its rear end to cooperate with an adjusting nut (Sl. Bolts 6G clamp the bracket 60 to the shank 62 and extend through vertical slots (S8 (Fig. 3) formed in the bracket to provide ttor vertical adjustment of the latter relatively to the shank. A screw carried by the shank G2 is arranged to engage a bottom 'lace of the bracket G0 to adjust the tread rest vertically.

The invention provides means by which the tread-rest may be instantly shifted back and forth from one to the other of two angularly related operative positions, one to be used while trimming the sides and bai-k of the toplift, and the other while trinuning the breast. In the illustrated machine. the means for shiftingT the tread-rest is designed to be operated by a treadle so that the operator may have both hands available at all times for handling the articles of work. The tread-rest is accordingly provided with an arm 72 extending toward the rear ol the machine, and this arm is provided with a block or stud H pivotall)T connected thereto, thc block having a cylindric shank 7U extending horizontally through the arm 72. as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. A treadle rod 78 extends through the block 74- and is engaged by a thumb screw 80, this connection providing for relative adjustment ot the rod and block. The lower end of the rod 78 is connected by a pivot 82 to a treadle 84; the fulcrum of which is indicated at 86'. The rod and treadle are normally raised by a tension spring 88, as shown in Fig. l, to maintain the tread-rest 54 norn'ially in a position corresponding to that represented by dotted lines in Fig. 2. The ends of the spring S8 iii are connected respectively to a fixture 90 and to a collar 92 affixed to the rod.

Provision is made for varying each of the limits of angular movement of the tread rest. As shown, the` fixture 90 is formed with a notch 94 (Fig. 3) through which the treadle rod 78 extends, the fixture being thereby adapted to function as an abutment for limiting the vertical movements of the rod by arresting each of two collars 96, 98 carried by the rod, one above and the other below said abutment. These collars are provided with set screws 100 by which they may be affixed at any desired positions relatively to the rod.

Assuming that a heel of the type shown in Fig. 4 and having a toplift to be trimmed is presented to the cutter 44 first as shown by full lines in Fig. 2, the preferred method of procedure is as follows: The tread-rest 54 being maintained by the spring 88 in the position represented by solid lines in this figure, the angle of the tread-rest relatively to the cutter is suitable for trimming the breast of the toplift, and the operator will therefore perform the first step of trimming on the breast. He places the tread of the toplift firmly against the tread-rest at a suitable distance below the cutter to assure himself that the toplift is firmly Seated on the tread-rest before the actual cutting begins. Then, while maintaining the toplift against the tread-rest, he moves the heel upwardly to the cutter and, as the latter attacks the surplus material of the toplift, he Vmoves the heel from side to side so that the cutter will traverse the entire breast. During this operation the gage 46 engages the body of the heel adjacent to the toplift and prevents trimming too far into the toplift. When the gage 46 is correctly adjusted, it will guide the heel so that the trimming cut will be exactly fiush with the corresponding surface of the body of the heel.

Having trimmed the breast as above described, the operator now depresses the.

treadle 84 and turns theV heel preparatory to` trimming the sides and back of the ltop-lift. The tread-rest 54 is now in the position represented by ydotted lines in Fig. 2, its angle relatively to the cutter being more nearly at right angles than formerly. The gage. 46 will now run around the sides and back of the body of the heel as the latter Ais turned while trimming the sides and back of the toplift, and the profile of the trimmed toplif't will thus be caused to merge smoothly with that of the body of the heel to produce the results shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

Inasmuch as the treadle is depressed for the operation last described, the operator may prefer to maintain it in that position for the first operation on'the toplift of the next heel. If so, the operator will reverse the order of operations while trimming the next toplift by first trimming around the sides and back while holding .the treadle depressed, and then releasing the treadle preparatory to trimming the breast of thattoplift. Thus, according to this procedure the breasts of alternate toplifts will be trimmed before the sides and back are trimmed, while the sides and backs of the others will be trimmed before the breasts, thereby minimizing the shifting move-ments of the treadrest. Obviously, however, the sequence of operations may be the same in every ease, since that is optional.

The procedure to be followed in trimming the toplift of a heel such as that shown in Fig. 5 is substantially like that hereinbefore described except that, since the angle of the breast 24 relatively to the tread surface 26 is more abrupt than the angle of the sides and back, the treadle will be ydepressed while trimming around the sides and back 0f t-he toplift 22 and will be released while trimming the breast 24. It will be understood, of course, that `before beginning operations on a lot of heels the collars 96 and 98 carried by the treadle rod 78 will be adj usted as may be required to regulate the amplitude of shifting movement, aswell as to insure the desired operative positions of the treadrest.

Having thus Idescribed my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A toplift-trimming machine comprising a power-operated trimming cutter arranged to trim the contour of a toplift attached to a heel, an angularly adjustable tread-rest, and means arrange-d to shift said tread-rest back and forth. from one to the other of two operative positions angularly related to each other and to maintain the tread-rest in one of said positions.

2. A toplift-trimming machine comprising a power-operated trimming cutter arrange-d to trim the contour of atoplift attached to ak heel, an angularly adjustable tread-rest, and manuallyy operative means including a reciprocatory member arranged to shift said tread-'rest back and forth from one to the other of two predetermind operative positions angularly related to each other and to maintain the tread-rest in one ofsaid positions. y l

3. A toplift-trimming machine comprising a power-operated trimming cutter arlranged to trim the contour of a toplift ating a power-operated trimming cutter arranged to trim the contour of a toplift attached to a heel, an angular-ly adjustable tread-rest, manually operative means arranged to shift said tread-rest back and forth from one to the other of two predetermined operative positions angularly related to each other, and a spring arranged to return said tread-rest to one of said operative positions.

5. A toplitt-trimming machine comprising a power-operated trimming cutter ar- 'anged to,trim the contour ot' a toplitt attached to a heel, an angularly adjustable tread-rest, manually operative means arranged to shift said tread-rest back and forth from one to the other ot two predetermined operative positions angularly related to each other, and adjustable means arranged to limit the operative motion in one direction ot said manually operative means and thereby to establish.` within ariahle limits, one of said operative positions of the tread-rest.

6. A toplitt-trimming machine comprising a power-operated trimming cutter arranged to trim the contour ot' a toplitt attached to a heel, lan angularly adjustable tread-rest, adjustable means arranged to arrest said tread-rest in one variable operative position, and manually operative means arranged to shift said tread-rest from said position to another operative position angularly related thereto.

7. A toplift-trin'iming machine comprising a power-operated trimming cutter arranged to trim the contour of a toplift attached to a heel, an angularly adjustable tread-rest, manually operative means arranged to shift said tread-rest back and forth from one to another of two operative positions angularly related to each other, adjustable means arranged to establish one ot said positions and to brace said treadrest againstpressure of the work thereon, and means arranged to establish the other i one of said operative positions by regulating the amplitude of shifting movement imparted to the tread-rest by said manually operative means. Y

8. A toplift-trimming machine comprising a power-operated trimming cutter arranged to trim the contour ot a topliit attached to a heel, an angularly adjustable tread-rest, adjustable means arranged to limit angular movement o't' said tread-rest in one direction, manually operative means arranged to impart angular movement to said tread-rest in the opposite direction, and adjustable lneans arranged to limit movement of said tread-rest in said other direction.

9. A heel-trimming machine comprising a power-operated trimn'iing cutter, an angularly adjustable tread-rest, and manually operative means arranged to shift said tread-rest to one predetermined operative position. for trimming the back and sides of the heel and to another predetermined operative position, angularly related to that first specified, for trimming the breast ol the heel.

l0. A heel-trimming machine comprising a power-operated trimming cutter, an angularly adjustable tread-rest, a treadle, and means arranged to communicate movement of said treadle to said tread-rest to place the latter in one predetermined operative position for trimming the back and sides oi a heel and in another predetermined operative position, angularly related to that first specified, for trimming the breast ot' the heel.

11. A toplilia-trimming machine comprising a power-operated trimn'iing cutter, an angularly adjustable tread-rest, treadle-operated means arranged to impart angular movement to said tread-rest, and means arranged to arrest said tread-rest at each of two predetermined operative positions angularly related to each other.

l2. A topliit-trinjnning machine comprising a power-ope ated trimming cutter, an angularly adjustable tread-rest, means including two adjustable stops arranged to arrest said tread-rest at two predetermined operative positions angularly related to each other, and a treadle arranged to shitt said tread-rest from one to the other of said operative positions.

13. A topliit-trimming machine comprising a power-operated trinnning cutter, an angjlfularljT adjustable tread-rest, treadle-operated means including a longitudinally movable rod arranged to impart angular movement to said tread-rest, two ahutments secured to said rod, and a fixed abutment arranged between said two abutn'ients to be engaged by the latter alternately to arrest the tread-rest at two predetermined operative positions angularly related to each other, two ot said abutments beingr adjust able to vary each ofsaid operative positions of the tread-rest.

In testimony whereoi I have signed my name to this specification.

HARRY DUCKWORTH. 

